(Communications 1897-1899 by letter home to Canada from Tom Anderson who was a professional soldier with the Seaforth Highlands. He spent time in Fort George Scotland, before heading off to Egypt, where he was killed.)

A letter to Annie from Khartoum

Dear Annie;

Having nothing else to do & an abundance of time to do it in, will indulge myself with a few lines. Not that you really deserve them as this is the fourth letter that I have written without a single one in reply. I suppose however that Xmas & New Year’s revelries have left you little time to yourselves.

As you are already aware Xmas is the same as any other day in the Highland Regiment, but New Years is the day of the year. Owing to our situation this year, we couldn’t have an extensive spread, but we managed fairly well. Lord Kitchener presented us with 100 chickens & 25 turkeys, on his departure & this with ? Plum Puddings, roast beef & mutton togther with all local vegetables, made a decent enough mess. They don’t grow potatoes up here & I never thought I could miss anything at dinner so much. We have abundance of melons, lettuce, vegetable marrow, cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes & other stuff with names I have not yet mastered. On New Year’s day it was just the even 100 in the shade, but the heat doesn’t bother us a bit now. But it seems to me I will never relish living in a cold country again. We have now got fairly well settled down to the even tenor of our way. The duty is not extremely heavy, but the troops are kept fairly active. I get in one hour a day on parade & 3 hrs at signalling - this constitutes our days work & it runs a guard about every ten days. We are of course in more or less of a hostile country & we have always to carry 40 rounds of ammunition. Our amusements are varied if restricted. There’s a foot-ball match every night - shooting competitions on Wednesday & Saturday afternoons - Then we have boating & splendid fishing together with duck shooting & about very other week we have donkey & mule & camel races. For the evenings we have chess, checkers & whist tournaments. I am one of the shining lights in chess & can play a pretty good game of whist. My chances of running the 1st named are, I think extremely good. Today is Sunday & we held a memorial service.

Kasr el Nil Barracks - Cairo

Dear Annie;

We are still located in Abbassigeh & by al appearances will continue on here for the next two months. That is unless we get a sudden shift to the far east.We have lost almost all interest in the South African war & are anxiously watching events in China & hope & trust that it may be our good fortune to be sent out there if the present troubles come to a head. It will doubtless be some time yet before the troops are removed from South Africa & India at present needs the 250,000 troops stationed here so it will likely fall on home troops & we are praying that we may be relieved by another regiment. I suppose you have heard of the report there is a rebellion in Kordagan about 500 miles south of Khartoum & that 30,000 (?) men are under arms; well I am rather doubtful if this report is true, if it proves true we will be sent up on an expedition next fall. It would be impossible to send troops up at this time of year owing to the excessive heat. The weather here now is all that could be desired, nice cool nights & about 95 in the shade during the day. I have become so tanned since comming to Egypt that I could pass for an Egytpian in America. I see that you are entering on another Presidential election & that the Democrats are endeavoring to make political capiol out of the Boer delegates, I don’t think either the Boers or Democrats will gain much by their alliance. McKinley has proved himself a good man & sound; he is respected abroad which is a great deal more than can be said about the ? Bryan – I think McKinley will win. That must have been a moving scene in the Canadian House of Commons. When all the members jumped to their feet at the end of a French Canadian pro Boer speach & sang “God Save Our Queen”. Every battery in Egypt fired a ryal salute of 21 guns the day Roberts entered Pretoria.

I fully expect as I have said before that we will yet have two months gorilla fighting before was is entirely ended - but all the chief interest is an end I am glad to say that I am feeling all “OK” once again & have our appetite that would do justice to a water buffalo. Both the 57 Field Battery & the 11 Hussars had sports last week & they were very good. I was also at a couple of good concerts. Their Italian & Arab Theatres just across the road from us & while we cannot understand, yet we can enjoy their singing & gestures. All this of course helps to pass the time. Just as soon as I get back to the regiment I will have these long promissed photos taken, I have changed considerable since leaving home, but I will leave you to judge. I see by the press that the Americans are fighting shy of the Paris Exhibition, the report is that everything is at Jannine Jeries (?) in Paris, they will probably before the end learn the same lesson that the Chicago people had forced on them. Then again the Frenchmen does not often distinguish between the English & American & the former has not been popular in France since the Fashoda (?) Incident. However I am sorry if you will have to forget the trip. I do sincerely hope things have taken a change for the better with you all, I was at one time considering wheather or not to desert & make my to America to try to do what I could for you all, indeed at times it almost strikes me as any duty to do so, but the word “deserter” has a horrible sound to any ears. Now dear girl ? soon, Tell me how Mother employs her time & how Mary is getting on & you know what a keen interest I take in your ? & all that concerns you. With dearest love to Mother, yourself and Mary & James.

I remain with kisses,

Your affectionate Bro Tom.

Feb 7, 1898

My Dear Brother:

As the Governor of North Carolina said to the Governor of S. Carolina "it’s a long time between drinks", so you will be thinking that a considerable time has elapsed since you heard from your wandering brother. Well my dear fellow I really have no good excuse for my long silence unless it be that never being at all exercised as to your welfare, knowing full well you could be in no h happier ? That where you were & constantly hearing through Annie & Mother. I concluded that you were being made acquinted with all that would be of interest to you. Even now I hardly know what topics to address you on, seeing the little difference in our interests & ambitions. It would be idle for me to assume that either my knowledge or religious ferver is of the same nature as your own, nor could you perhaps appreciate the worldly subjects of which I have knowledge. Do not mistake me & think that I treat lightly the excellent thoughts your letter contained & that I am in any way alienated from the church - far from it. The more ritchesness & misery I see the more do I appreciate the healing power over shattered hopes & feelings our faith - has & that the only real true happiness we have here below is that which springs from the consciousness of right doing and strict attendance to religious duty. Of course I do not pretend that I have always done that which most conduces toward that happiness, but my remissness has been more a matter of carelessness than through any lack of faith. Lately I have made it a rule to attend communion once a month & as I’m attending church, a soldier is obligated to attend every Sunday. Here in Dover, we have a splendid church & a pastor for whom I have the highest respect. He is a priest after my own heart, & I have never found myself listening to sermons so attentively as his short, eloquent & sincere sermons every Sunday morning. What a pity all our clergy do not feel the necessity of preparation for their sermons. I hope you will diligently cultivate your talent in that direction. In a good speaker in your ? an accomplish more perhaps than you have any idea of. You speak in your letter of the temptations of a soldier - yes there are many - but hardly any that are new to me, I think in law & newspaper life I have run the gauntlet of most of them & have got past the time when I take the luck to secure me. The Seaforth Highlanders are beyond question the crack infantry regiment in the British service & in consequence promotion is the slowest, but while the slowest, it is the most merritorious when received. The men of the regiment are much superior to those of the other regiments I have seen both physically & morally. The men are mostly from the extreme north of Scotland & the pure Highlands, grim determined fellows, strictly honorable & ? milk - an ardent love for their clans & their regiment. I do not know yet much about my future & will not until after the exam, when I intend having a talk with the Colonel. My idea is to get on the Indian service, which his the best paid branch of the army, but of this, more anon.

Have you ever had any photographs taken, if so I would like very much to get one as I am anxious to see how you have developed - What is your height - what sports do you favour - what nationality are most of the students? How have you stood in your recent examinations? Is there any prospect of your being sent to Rome? Will you be able to get home next summer?This will be enough this time. If you wish I could send you our chaplain’s address. This letter is more of an icebreaker, next time I trust my letter will be more in sequence. With all my heartiest & best wishes dear brother in your success, I remain your affectionate bro, Tom Write soon, remember me in your prayers.

Forward to New York

Dear Sister:

Well, seeing that I have let lapse so long a time since I last wrote, it behoves me to unearth enough news to make up for my many deficiencies. Here we are settled down in a fort that nestles in the heart of the Highlands. The fort is built on a prominatory that stretches out into the Moray Firth. We are nearly surrounded by water and in case of attack we could, owing to the engineering - be completely so. Build of hard northern stone itself bespeaks the rugged norther highlands. The walls are about forty feet thick and are surmounted with a but one hundred large cannon. The place is so nearly impregnable as possible and is supposed to be the key of the highlands.

We scenery even at this time of the year is grand beyond description. The Firth is about five miles - here and on the farther shore is a noble range of mountains. In just a few minutes ago I stood on the ramparts and enjoyed the beauty of a frosty moon lit night. At my feet the incoming tide was early lapping the gravelled shore while the waters were twinkling gems. Just across at the foot of the mountains lay the highland village of Roamarty while Gunther down some ten miles off the green of the north - Inverness lay blinking with the mighty snow capped Granpians. Beyond the first range of mountains, eighty miles away the giant Ben Wyn’s (the second highest peaks in Scotland.) He reared his frosted head which glistened as a polished thing in the bright moonlight. I imagine seeing thirty miles by moonlight, Ben Wyn’s is snow capped the year round. The fort is a curious place. It was just built in the times of Prince Charlie to overrun the highland tribes. It has of course gradually been rebuilt and strengthened. The walls are over a mile around and within those barriers we have a town to ourselves. Shops, resturants, libraries, billiard rooms and all run by soldiers. The nearest place is a small village called Cambeltown. It’s a Gaelic highland village and I can barely make myself understood. The men have many amusing experiences to tell of nights out in the village. I forgot to tell to asguat. I could also see Calloden Field as it is only four miles away and we have manoeuvers over that ancient battlefield where the Stuarts lost all hope of the English throne.

The ten days I had in London before leaving Dover were emmensely enjoyed. New York is not a patch on London at night seeing enjoyment and fun the English people show such zest into their X-mas jollifications. When I was treated like a lion our regiment is very popular in the capital and I wouldn’t accept 1/10 of ? Thrown at me. At the theatres too. The highland garb was about as much of an attraction as the performance. The theatres are excellent and then you have the satisfaction of seeing the very best and the very latest. I went to see the Grand Grantomine at the Alhambra “the Forty Wives” and the scenic beauty and chorus was a revelation to me. The aquarium’s a building about four times the size of Madison Sq. Garden with its several shows going on at once was also visited.

The Crystal Palace all in its gay beauty. I saw the comic opera “The Belle of New York” and thought it very good. The company I believe are all Americans. "What happened to Jones" is a very funny thing and the new adaptations of the “Three Musketeers” is splendid. They certainly to not know anything at home about properly mounting plays. They spare no expense in London and if the play succeeds there its name is made in Anglo Saxon people. I visited St. Paul’s Cathedral. It is a grand & beautiful structure. Therein lie some of Britains heros. Here is Wellington, his tomb and emmense structure of iron made from the cannon that he captured. Next to his immortal Nelson, his remains enclosed in a huge marble case that Cardinal Woolsey had made to receive his own recapitulation of famous names could weary you. Westminster Abbey the same. I reverently stopped at Gladstone’s grave and paid homage to his greatness.

I also visited the National Gallery and saw the famous paintings, the picture of the Virgin he government paid the tidy sum of 375,000 $ for a few years ago. The houses of parliament, the Tower, Hyde Park and its dashing ? Also some inspection - the doors of all places were an open sesame to a highlander. I got in with a set of newspaper fellows @ the cellebrated punch etc. and enjoyed the company of fellow draftsman. I had many offers of assistance if I wished to return to the council and undoubtedly would have accepted had not that Toronto change of format been made. I spent my X-mas in the hotel the best way I could and I had in a companion an old retired Colonel. He took pity on me and talked philosophically to me what with his droll Indian stories made the day pass somehow and we went to the theatre at night. I could not keep any thoughts - from crossing the Atlantic and could have given a great deal just to kiss you once and tell you how much I love you all. All these kisses are being so long missed - that they will result in a great avalanche when they do come.

We left Dover on the 5th of January. The whole town testified to our popularity by turning out enmass. We were delayed away half a dozen bands and the road from the barracks was a mass of cheering men and women. Every station after we entered Scotland had it groups that cheered us on. At Sterling at 6:00 in the morning we had a great reception but Perth outdid them all. We were treated to everything in the café of eatables and drinkables. Many of the men lived here and have not been home ten years so you can imagine some of the feelings. After leaving Perth we entered the highlands through the Pass of Killecranke that the Prince Urarge of Dundee made famous. We saw a real highland snowstorm. It was grand to see the clouds encircling the mountain tops and the swirling rush of the snow up the vales. Big crowds greeted us at Fres, Garven and Granton, but arriving at the station here about half the people of inverness were gathered to welcome home U S country regiment. Their shouts of encouragement however were largely in Gaelic and were somewhat lost on me. We have little or no snow here owing to the proximity of the sea. The snow never lies any length of time. We can however always see all we want by gazing up at those mountain tops that are snow clad the year around. One hundred men of the regiment are stationed in Inverness on duty and are relieved every two weeks. The regiment will also supply the guard of honour to the Queen at Balmoral next summer - Well now for a little surplus news. The news came out the other day that a draft of one hundred men were required in Egypt a once. I volunteered and so on the tenth of next month will sail from South Hampton to Cairo. Cairo is one of the healthiest and best stations in the service and imagine the delight of a few months in the lands of the Pharoes. We will not be longer than that in Egypt. When we will go on to India and then I can get to work on the staff quarters I told you of. I am have not the slightest doubt of filling it so you can consider that I am in luck and that my past experience has taught me not to slap luck in the face but to make by jurisprudence and care a friend of it. All the men in the draft left to their homes today on 10 days leave. Your humble servant is the only one of the 100 who is a little too far away to get a warm of the “home fireside” within the 10 days limit. When I do come home I’ll have enough coin to build a - rest of our days. Well we’ll chat over these things then. If you write me here the letter will be forwarded to Egypt. I am sending this to Mary because the postage is only 2 cents by Canada. By all means send the - it’s the only thing that comes regular. Will write you again and probably enclose a note of Eva Grenren if you still correspond with her. You can forward it. My dear girl I have one wearying heart on my sleeve. Love to all. Dear Mother, Annie, Mary and Jim. Love to all. Tom Anderson. Seaforth Highlands. Fort George Scotland. Yours affectionately Bro Tom.